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"Friends Remember Slain Mexican Activist as Dedicated, Honest Man"

"TORONTO - A Mexican man who strongly opposed the presence of a Canadian company in his hometown felt sure his activism would lead to his murder but was willing to pay that price to protest what he regarded to be human rights abuses, friends said Thursday.

Activist Mariano Abarca Roblero, 51, was gunned down in front of his home in southern Chiapas last month.

The community leader had been campaigning against a barite mine operated by a subsidiary of Calgary-based Blackfire Exploration. The three men arrested in Abarca Roblero's death have ties to Blackfire. The company denies any connection to the killing and is adamant the mine is being run in an environmentally responsible way. "Romina Maurino had the story for the Canadian Press December 11, 2009.